Boston Massacre Historical Site

Address: Site outside the Old State House, State Street, Boston, MA 02109, USA

Hours: Open 24/7 (outdoor public site)

Admission: Free (public street marker)

The Boston Massacre refers to the deadly confrontation on 5 March 1770 between British soldiers and residents of Boston, Massachusetts, in which five colonists were killed. The event occurred on King Street in front of the Old State House and became a pivotal episode in the events leading to the American Revolution.

Key figures killed included Crispus Attucks and others, and contemporary prints and accounts - notably a widely distributed engraving by Paul Revere - were used to publicize and politicize the incident. The episode was followed by trials in which several soldiers were acquitted or given reduced sentences.

The site is located in downtown Boston at the Old State House and is part of the Freedom Trail and the Boston National Historical Park, with interpretive material and markers for visitors.

• Physical marker: An in-situ marker and plaque on the front of the Old State House in Boston mark the location where the incident took place on 5 March 1770.

The Boston Massacre marker is at the Old State House in downtown Boston (near the corner of State and Washington Streets). The site is a very short walk from the MBTA State Street station (Orange and Blue lines) and also a few minutes’ walk from Downtown Crossing (Red Line). It is in Boston’s compact historic core, so once you’re on foot in the area the site is easily reached within a few minutes.

• Stand at the cobblestone ring in front of the Old State House on State Street to see the exact marked spot of the Boston Massacre and to orient yourself on the Freedom Trail; the site is clearly signed and is immediately west of the Old State House.
• Visit early in the morning to view the marker and read the interpretive plaques before guided tours and Freedom Trail foot traffic increase around mid‑day.